A team of students of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, has invented an IoT Automation machine- an AI-powered crop disease detection application, designed to measure real-time soil moisture and weather condition for farmers geared towards improving food value chain.
Described as ‘’the Smart Irrigation and Market Linkage System’’, the AI-powered crop disease detection App uses artificial intelligence and image recognition to identify signs of disease on crops by analyzing photos taken with a camera.
The project team lead, Benjamin Adenola, while sharing their success story with the University Public Relations Office on Wednesday, 18th June, 2025, stated that the Mobile app built on computer vision and deep learning models, addresses challenges in the agricultural sector by helping farmers to determine when a problem that often results in food wastes are detected. He noted that early detection allows farmers to take timely action, thereby preventing widespread damage and minimizing yield loss.
He explained that the App adds significant value to the production and processing stages of the food value chain—ensuring healthier crops, reducing chemical misuse, as well as boosting food security and market competitiveness. The young inventor stressed that their motivation stemmed from the need to reduce wastage and improve accuracy in food quality assessment.
Adenola speaking further mentioned some challenges they encountered while working on the project, stressing that cost of completing the machine was so high and time frame was limited, calling for government’s financial support for more improved output.
The AE-FUNAI CHAIN Coordinator, Professor Robert Onyeneke commended the team, stating that the invention underscores the creativity and innovativeness of the university’s students, adding that it also reflects the dedication of students and the quality of education the university provides. He commended the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sunday Elom and the members of faculties who honed them to achieve their goals, hoping that the product will reach the target-market which is the mechanized and commercial farmers.
The team of young inventors is comprised of Usulor Clinton Nnamdi, M.Sc. Agribusiness (Food value Chain Management), Adenola Benjamin Aduramigba (Mechatronics Engineering), Chukwuemeka Walter (Mechatronics Engineering), Eluu-Vincent Iheomadiri (Human Nutrition and Dietetics), Kekung Engels Ojong (Mechatronics Engineering) and Igwe Ifeanyi Elisha (M.Sc. Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Development).
While commending the inventive ideas and ingenuity of the students, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Elom noted that the university under his leadership will continue to support and promote production-led research, meant to provide workable solutions to the problems confronting Nigeria.
He noted that the Smart Irrigation and Market Linkage System invented by the students will go a long way in solving some of the challenges hindering food security in the country, and called on governments at the federal and state levels and organized private sector to invest in the mass production of the machine to enhance efficiency in the Agriculture food value chain of the country.
